Two families have complained that they received the wrong bodies of British citizens killed in the Ahmedabad plane crash. One family postponed the funeral, and another found different body parts. At least 12 bodies have been repatriated to the UK.
New Delhi: Two families in the United Kingdom have alleged that they received the wrong bodies of their loved ones killed in the Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad. One family has reportedly postponed the funeral due to the mix-up, while another family found different body parts within the coffin they received. It is expected that the British Prime Minister Keir Starmer may raise this issue with the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit.
The issue surfaced when Dr Fiona Wilcox, a coroner from inner west London, started confirming the identities of the repatriated British victims by comparing their DNA with samples submitted by their relatives. According to aviation lawyer James Healy-Pratt, who represents several British families, while some victims were laid to rest in India, the bodies of at least 12 individuals had been returned to the UK.
Healy-Pratt stated that he is currently investigating the procedures followed during the identification of the remains. “Over the past month, I’ve met with many grieving British families, and their top priority has been to have their loved ones returned,” he told British newspaper Daily Mail. “However, in some cases, they received the wrong remains, leading to deep emotional distress. This issue has been ongoing for a couple of weeks, and these families deserve answers.”
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He added that one family, who had received mixed remains, was eventually able to separate them and proceed with a funeral. In contrast, another family has been left without closure. “They’ve been given the remains of someone else, meaning they still don’t have their own loved one to lay to rest,” he explained. “This raises a troubling question — if that’s not their relative in the coffin, then who is? It likely means another passenger's remains have also been misidentified, leaving multiple families affected.”
No Issues in Fuel Control Switch Mechanism
Meanwhile, Air India on Tuesday informed that it has concluded inspections on the locking mechanism of the Fuel Control Switch (FCS) on all Boeing 787 and 737 aircraft in its fleet and stated that no issues were found. Air India informed that Boeing 737 aircraft are part of the fleet of Air India Express. "Air India has completed precautionary inspections on the locking mechanism of Fuel Control Switch (FCS) on all Boeing 787 and Boeing 737 aircraft in its fleet. Boeing 737 aircraft are part of the fleet of Air India Express, Air India's low cost subsidiary. With this, the two airlines have complied with the directives of the DGCA issued on July 14, 2025," the statement read.
Air India said that no issues were found with the locking mechanism of the Fuel Control Switch. "In the inspections, no issues were found with the said locking mechanism. Air India had started voluntary inspections on July 12 and completed them within the prescribed time limit set by the DGCA. The same has been communicated to the regulator," the statement read. MoS Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol on Monday informed the Parliament that no adverse trend was flagged/reported in reliability reports of Air India during the last six months in respect of AI171 that crashed in Ahmedabad last month.
The minister was asked in a written question by Rajya Sabha MP John Brittas whether any adverse observations regarding safety or flightworthiness' of the crashed Air India AI171 flight had been flagged before the accident by passengers or the DGCA during the last six months. "During the last six months, no adverse trend has been reported in reliability reports of Air India in respect of crashed aircraft," the minister informed Rajya Sabha in his written reply. The minister, in his reply, also noted that a total of nine show cause notices have been issued to Air India in connection with five identified safety violations over the last six months.
(With agency inputs)
